A Lifetime Personality of the Year Award for Stefaan Bettens
- Gondola Foodservice
- 12 hours ago
- 2 min read
POTY – During the Personality of the Year ceremony, which was held yesterday, a special award was presented to honor a remarkable entrepreneurial career. The Lifetime Personality of the Year award was bestowed upon Stefaan Bettens, CEO of Jet Import, for his entire professional journey and his lasting influence on the Belgian and Luxembourgish markets.
A Belgian entrepreneur and a well-known figure in the sector, Stefaan Bettens leads Jet Import, the family business specializing in the development and distribution of premium beverage and snack brands. He is notably recognized as the individual who imported and deployed Red Bull in Belgium.
Through this Lifetime Personality of the Year award, the entire career of an entrepreneur who has created value for the whole ecosystem is recognized. This applies both to the foodservice and retail sectors.
Over the decades, Stefaan Bettens has contributed to introducing, developing, and establishing international brands that have profoundly shaped the beverage market in the Benelux region.
Through Jet Import, he has not only built a solid and rapidly growing company, but he has also played a key role in the evolution of marketing and distribution for premium beverages. His sense of innovation, his ability to detect trends before others, and his talent for transforming brands into commercial successes explain the lasting impact he has had on the sector.
He joined the company in 1986 and quickly participated in its development, notably through the distribution of the Mexican beer Corona Extra.
Over the years, he took over the management of the company and implemented a strategy resolutely focused on innovation, the building of international brands, and marketing that is strongly sales-oriented.
A major turning point occurred in 1996 with the introduction of Red Bull in Belgium and Luxembourg. This launch left a lasting mark on the history of Jet Import and positioned the company as a specialist in brand creation and development in the Benelux region.
Subsequently, Stefaan Bettens also played an important role in the establishment of brands such as Desperados or Fever-Tree, contributing to the transformation of the premium beverage market.
Under his leadership, Jet Import has become an essential player in the sector. Today, the company represents more than 60 brands, employs 160 staff members, and generated a turnover exceeding 350 million euros in 2025. With an approach that is both visionary and pragmatic, Stefaan Bettens has developed the largest private Belgian company in beverage distribution. Innovation, quality, and profitability constitute the heart of his career, and this award is a further confirmation of those values.
Through this award, the jury wished to honor an entrepreneurial trajectory that has profoundly marked the industry, as well as a vision based on innovation, brand quality, and sustainable growth.
According to Pierre-Alexandre Billiet, CEO of Gondola, "this award is also a responsibility: to continue inspiring future managers in uncertain times. The leadership and humanity that he radiates will make the difference for the years to come in a sector undergoing significant change. It is the role of true captains of industry to guide the sector toward a better world."
Stefaan Bettens thus establishes himself as one of the most influential personalities in the world of Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) in the Benelux region.
